Pac-12 Football Awards and All-Conference Team Announced
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For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 5, 2017 Contact // Dave Hirsch ([email protected]), Molly Babcock ([email protected]) PAC-12 FOOTBALL AWARDS AND ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM ANNOUNCED Offensive Player of the Year: Bryce Love, Stanford Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year: Vita Vea, Washington Freshman Offensive Co-Players of the Year: J.J. Taylor, Arizona and Walker Little, Stanford Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Colin Schooler, Arizona Coach of the Year: David Shaw, Stanford SAN FRANCISCO — Running back Bryce Love of STANFORD has been named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, defensive lineman Vita Vea of WASHINGTON the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year and David Shaw of STANFORD the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. In addition, running back J.J. Taylor of ARIZONA and lineman Walker Little of Stanford have been named Freshman Offensive Co-Players of the Year and Arizona linebacker Colin Schooler the Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. Offensive Player of the Year – Bryce Love, RB, Stanford: Love, a junior from Wake Forest, N.C., led the Pac-12 in rushing and was second in the FBS, averaging 164.4 yards per game. He’s rushed for 100 or more yards in 11 games this season, which ties a school record. His 12 runs of 50 or more yards this year is an FBS record. Love set a school single-season record with 301 rushing yards on 25 carries (12.0 yards/rush) and three touchdowns vs. Arizona State. In the Pac-12 Championship Game, Love surpassed 2009 Heisman finalist Toby Gerhart and moved into second place on the school's single-season rushing list with 1,973 yards this season. With a bowl game remaining, he needs 47 yards to break the school record set by 2015 Heisman finalist Christian McCaffrey. This marks the fifth time in the last nine years that Stanford has claimed the conference offensive player of the year honor. Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year – Vita Vea, DL, Washington: Vea, a junior from Milpitas, Calif., anchored the Husky defense that led the Pac-12 and was third in the nation in rushing defense (92.3 yards allowed), while the team’s total defense (277.4 yards allowed) paced the Pac-12 and was fifth in the FBS. Behind Vea, the Huskies gave up just eight rushing touchdowns on the season. He posted 38 tackles (26 solo, 12 assisted) in 12 starts, collecting 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Vea is the first Husky to win the award since linebacker Jason Chorak in 1996, and the fifth time overall that a Husky has garnered the honor. Freshman Offensive Co-Player of the Year – J.J. Taylor, RB, Arizona: Taylor, a redshirt freshman from Corona, Calif., played in all 12 games and was the Pac-12’s top freshman rusher with 828 yards (6.1 yards/carry), averaged 69.0 yards per game, and added five touchdowns. He rushed for a career-best 153 yards on 14 carries (10.9 avg.) with two touchdowns vs. Washington State. Taylor was a major contributor to Arizona’s ground game that averaged 324.4 yards per game (3rd in the FBS) and a school single-season team record 48 rushing touchdowns. Arizona rushed for 300 or more yards seven times, including a pair of 500+ yard games with a UA single-game record 534 yards vs. Oregon State. Freshman Offensive Co-Player of the Year – Walker Little, OL, Stanford: Little, a freshman from Houston, Texas, earned Stanford’s Outstanding Freshman Award. He’s the first true freshman to start at tackle for Stanford in 17 years. He was part of an offensive line that led the Cardinal to an average of 205.8 rushing yards per game, opening holes for running back Bryce Love, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. Little and the offensive front allowed just 16 sacks on the season for a league-low 1.23 sacks per game. Little’s the second Cardinal to earn Freshman of the Year honors, joining WR Teyo Johnson (2001). 2017 Pac-12 Football All-Conference Teams/Tues., Dec. 5 Page 2 of 2 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year – Colin Schooler, LB, Arizona: Schooler, a freshman from Dana Point, Calif., was 11th in the Pac-12, and second among freshmen with 88 tackles (7.3 per game), trailing only freshman teammate Tony Fields II (91 tackles/7.6 per game). Schooler added 13.5 tackles for loss, most among all FBS freshmen, 3.0 sacks and two interceptions (returned one 66 yards for a touchdown vs. Washington State). In nine Pac-12 games, he posted 81 tackles (9.0 per game) and all 13.5 tackles for loss. Schooler and teammate J.J. Taylor are the second and third Wildcats to earn Freshman of the Year honors, joining WR Mike Thomas (2005). Coach of the Year – David Shaw, Stanford: After opening the season 1-2, Stanford won eight of its final nine regular season games, including victories over No. 9 Washington and No. 8 Notre Dame over the final three weeks of the season. Stanford clinched the Pac-12 North Division and made its fourth Pac-12 Football Championship Game appearance under Shaw. The Cardinal is currently No. 13 in the CFP rankings and head to the Valero Alamo Bowl with a 9-4 record. Stanford has now posted eight or more wins in nine consecutive seasons. It’s the fourth time Shaw has earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors (2011, 2012 and Co-Coach with Washington State’s Mike Leach in 2015). In seven seasons at Stanford, Shaw’s record stands at 73-21. His 73 career wins are the most in Stanford history. Against Cal (Nov. 18), Shaw eclipsed the previous record set by Glenn “Pop” Warner (71 from 1924-32). The individual awards and the All-Pac-12 Football Team are selected by the Pac-12 head coaches. Below is the 2017 All-Pac-12 Football Team that was announced earlier today. 2017 ALL-PAC-12 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM First Team Offense Second Team Offense QB Sam Darnold, RSo., USC QB Josh Rosen, Jr., UCLA RB Ronald Jones II, Jr., USC RB Royce Freeman, Sr., Oregon RB Bryce Love, Jr., Stanford RB Myles Gaskin, Jr, Washington WR N’Keal Harry, So., Arizona State WR Deontay Burnett, Jr., USC WR Dante Pettis, Sr., Washington WR Darren Carrington II, Sr., Utah TE Dalton Schultz, Sr., Stanford TE Will Dissly, Sr., Washington OL Tyrell Crosby, Sr., Oregon OL David Bright, RSr., Stanford OL Nate Herbig, So., Stanford OL Toa Lobendahn, RJr., USC OL Kaleb McGary, Jr., Washington OL Cole Madison, RSr., Washington State OL Cody O’Connell, RSr., Washington State OL Kolton Miller, RJr., UCLA OL Coleman Shelton, Sr., Washington OL Salesi Uhatafe, Sr., Utah First Team Defense Second Team Defense DL Rasheem Green, Jr., USC DL Greg Gaines, Jr., Washington DL Hercules Mata’afa, RJr., Washington State DL Jalen Jelks, RJr., Oregon DL Harrison Phillips, Sr., Stanford DL Christian Rector, RSo., USC DL Vita Vea, Jr., Washington DL JoJo Wicker, Jr., Arizona State LB Uchenna Nwosu, Sr., USC LB Keishawn Bierria, Sr., Washington LB Cameron Smith, Jr., USC LB Ben Burr-Kirven, Jr., Washington LB Kenny Young, Sr., UCLA LB Troy Dye, So., Oregon DB Isaiah Oliver, Jr., Colorado DB Julian Blackmon, So., Utah DB Taylor Rapp, So., Washington DB Chase Lucas, RFr., Arizona State DB Justin Reid, Jr., Stanford DB Jojo McIntosh, Jr., Washington DB Marvell Tell, Jr., USC DB Quenton Meeks, Jr., Stanford DB Jalen Thompson, So., Washington State DB Jaleel Wadood, Sr., UCLA 2017 Pac-12 Football All-Conference Teams/Tues., Dec. 5 Page 2 of 3 First Team Specialists Second Team Specialists PK Matt Gay, Jr., Utah PK Erik Powell, RSr., Washington State P Mitch Wishnowsky, Jr., Utah (1) P Jake Bailey, Jr., Stanford RS Dante Pettis, Sr., Washington RS Boobie Hobbs, Sr., Utah AP/ST Brenden Schooler, So., Oregon AP/ST Matt Lopes, RSr., USC Michael Pittman Jr., So., USC RS=return specialist AP/ST=all-purpose/special teams player (not a kicker or returner) (1) Two-time first team selection ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION ARIZONA: OL Jacob Alsadek, RSr.; RS Shun Brown, Jr.; OL Nate Eldridge, So.; LB Colin Schooler, Fr.; QB Khalil Tate, So.; RB Nick Wilson, Sr. ARIZONA STATE: DB Chad Adams, Sr..; LB DJ Calhoun, Sr.; OL Sam Jones, RJr.; RB Demario Richard, Sr.; LB Christian Sam, Jr.; DL Tashon Smallwood, Sr.; QB Manny Wilkins, Jr. CALIFORNIA: LB Devante Downs, Sr.; RB Patrick Laird, Jr.; DL James Looney, Sr.; OL Patrick Mekari, Jr. COLORADO: LB Rick Gamboa, Jr.; OL Jeromy Irwin, Sr.; RB Phillip Lindsay, Sr.; QB Steven Montez, So.; DB Evan Worthington, Jr.; OREGON: DB Ugo Amadi, Jr.; TE Jake Breeland, RSo.; OL Jake Hanson, RSo.; DB Arrion Springs, Sr.; OL Calvin Throckmorton, So. OREGON STATE: LB Manase Hungalu, RSr.; DB David Morris, Fr. STANFORD: OL Jesse Burkett, Sr.; OL A.T. Hall, Sr.; OL Walker Little, Fr.; LB Bobby Okereke, Sr.; RS Cameron Scarlett, Jr.; AP/ST Brandon Simmons, Sr.; PK Jet Toner, So.; WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Jr. UCLA: WR Darren Andrews, RSr.; WR Jordan Lasley, RJr.; OL Scott Quessenberry, RSr.; OL Najee Toran, Sr.; DL Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, Sr. USC: OL Chris Brown, RJr.; TB Stephen Carr, Fr.; DL Josh Fatu, Sr.; DB Chris Hawkins, RSr.; DB Iman Marshall, Jr.; WR Steven Mitchell Jr., RSr.; TE Tyler Petite, Jr.; DL Brandon Pili, Fr.; TB Tyler Vaughns, RFr. UTAH: OL Lo Falemaka, Sr.; LB Kavika Luafatasaga, Sr.; DL Lowell Lotulelei, Sr.; DL Filipo Mokofisi, Sr.